Are all religions just really a sect?

If you were to look up the definition of a sect, it would certainly appear to be so. The fear, control and endless requests demanded by almost all
religions would in my opinion classify all of them as sects. Yet, they stay popular, driven and being grown by the very same people that would
classify other upstart "religions" as sects.

I find it ironic, that people cling to one believe system, while being intolerant of another. Of being a follower of this or that religion, yet on the
same breath, proclaiming sects are wrong, yet they themselves might belong to the biggest and most successful sects ever dreamed up.

People seem to want to be led, fearing the unknown, or self discovery. Wanting instruction manuals on life, love, believes and everything else. Thus,
granting others power and control over them, instilling fear in them, and ultimately succumbing to the greatest of all control systems ever. Organized
religion, be it the Abrahamic religions, eastern, the sect down the road.

Religions themselves are not so intolerant, demanding, or restrictive. But through centuries of human involvement, with their ego, selfishness, greed,
lusts for power and bigotry, it has corrupted all religions. ALL religions have had this treatment, not just Western religions.

Hindu countries have abused the caste system, some Taoists have become self-centered, Buddhism has been twisted as an excuse for death and tyranny
throughout the millennium (i.e. Tibetan Buddhism), Islam has become full of violence and hate, Protestant Christianity has become dictated by liars
and crooks in expensive suits, Roman Catholicism has been tainted by apostasy...

The only major religion, it seems, that hasn't been corrupted in this way is Wicca. But what do you expect? They used to burn them, or anybody they
thought were practicing witchcraft.

I will definitely agree with you on that point. Apostasy and corruption is being in seen in virtually all religions and have become very sect-like
(even cult like in many instances). That's why I left Christianity for a while, then returned when I realized I didn't have to follow their idea of
God to follow God.

It's just a matter of size and acceptance. Christianity started out as a small cult and was treated as such. As it grew it gained power and became an
"accepted" religion. I don't think there's much more to it than that except for people who want to rub your nose in dictionary definitions.

a friend and his wife, were wiccans, they decided to visit a wiccan chat room and invited me along, since we were on friendly speaking terms due to
my website at the time, having a chat room where they would go to have quiet time with each other before they got married.

anyway, we get to the wiccan chat and it's a british wicca group. my friend was canadian and his wife was like scandinavian. and of course, i'm an
american. i didn't have much to contribute to the conversation because i'm a christian not a wiccan so i just listened to the conversation. my
friend attempts to join the conversation and they ask him where he's from. he tells them and they pitch a fit:

canadian (and american) wiccans, they pronounce, are not real wiccans. the discussion goes downhill from there.

in melting pot western nations, whenever there's a war, people from all backgrounds are inducted and then the whole thing is blamed on christians.
we're like the fall guys for whatever shiznitz western govs want to inflict on the planet.

Unfortunately it's true. Christianity has been blamed for everything but HIV. I'm sure they'll find a way to pin that one on Christians
eventually.

The problem is that the most vocal Christians, the ones who get the most limelight and have the most say, are the ones who are stereotypically war
mongering, sexist, anti-Islam homophobes. I mean, look at how much press that one church alone got for burning a pile of Qurans. Meanwhile, the
Christians with any humanity left are basically left in silence.

Originally posted by VreemdeVlieendeVoorwep
If you were to look up the definition of a sect, it would certainly appear to be so. The fear, control and endless requests demanded by almost all
religions would in my opinion classify all of them as sects. Yet, they stay popular, driven and being grown by the very same people that would
classify other upstart "religions" as sects.

I find it ironic, that people cling to one believe system, while being intolerant of another. Of being a follower of this or that religion, yet on the
same breath, proclaiming sects are wrong, yet they themselves might belong to the biggest and most successful sects ever dreamed up.

People seem to want to be led, fearing the unknown, or self discovery. Wanting instruction manuals on life, love, believes and everything else. Thus,
granting others power and control over them, instilling fear in them, and ultimately succumbing to the greatest of all control systems ever. Organized
religion, be it the Abrahamic religions, eastern, the sect down the road.

Vvv

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot
serve both God and money.

What does this tell you?

What is your alternative to your problem? Would you have people "throw the baby out with the bathwater"
so to speak, so that they can have your almighty approval and stamp of originality?
What do you have to offer us besides a shallow understanding of these organized religions?

Originally posted by lobotomizemecapin
yes
they are all cults.
the most popular gained their momentum by murdering those who would not join their cult.

You would think entropy (newer generations) would have taken care of their demise, as in outgrow or change the old molds. Wonder what feeds ITS all;
nothing tangible as that mystery knoweledge is all hidden information.

There are more functional sects, especially those who can also have meaningful interfaith dialogues.

Then there are absolute cults, which are run by sociopaths, and they really want uncritical sheep as followers.

The scary thing is that very mainstream forms of religion are nowadays almost like cults.

I've been cut off from people for daring to criticize Angus Buchan, for example.
I've seen such people become rigid and engaging in thought-stopping language, like repeating "Don't judge!", or "Don't be negative!" whenever they
hear something they don't like.
Some give huge amounts of money to the church because they are told a reward is coming.

I'd say cult techniques developed in the 1970s have become mainstream.

There are more functional sects, especially those who can also have meaningful interfaith dialogues.
Then there are absolute cults, which are run by sociopaths, and they really want uncritical sheep as followers.
The scary thing is that very mainstream forms of religion are nowadays almost like cults.
I've been cut off from people for daring to criticize Angus Buchan, for example.
I've seen such people become rigid and engaging in thought-stopping language, like repeating "Don't judge!", or "Don't be negative!" whenever they
hear something they don't like.
Some give huge amounts of money to the church because they are told a reward is coming.
I'd say cult techniques developed in the 1970s have become mainstream.

Interfaith dialogues. That would not typify the Catholic/Prodestant, or the Judiaic/Christian faiths hand holding. Some would call Abraham a
meglamaniacal sociopath; his God described was a terror. King James; took this to a Hard Core Biblical interpretation of scripture (resulting in the
King James Version) and many fundimentalists cherish and revere it to this day. Thought stopping language for me (I witnessed) "Your boys just broke
the back window out on my truck throwing rocks haphazardly while playing". The good next door neighbor Babtist Mom when confronted responds, "do not
ever come near us or the children again". So much for religious teachings.

What is your alternative to your problem? Would you have people "throw the baby out with the bathwater" so to speak, so that they can have your
almighty approval and stamp of originality? What do you have to offer us besides a shallow understanding of these organized religions?

Did I say there is a problem? I put forth a question, and a valid one at that.

Your passive aggressive attack, I find hardly very constructive to this thread. Never did I say anyone or anything needs "my stamp of orginality".
Furthermore, prick, do not assume to know how much I know about these organized religions.

Even your quote from scripture, can be seen as a sign of christianity being nothing more than a sect or cult.

Some signs of a sect or cult. Most of these signs can be applied to almost all religions:

· A powerful leader who claims divinity or a special mission entrusted to him/her from above;

· Revealed scriptures or doctrine;

· Deceptive recruitment;

· Totalitarianism and alienation of members from their families and/or friends;

· The use of indoctrination, by sophisticated mind-control techniques, based on the concept that once you can make a person behave the way you want,
then you can make him/her believe what you want;

· Slave labour - that is, the use of members on fundraising or missionary activities for little or no pay to line the leader's pockets;

· Misuse of funds and the accumulation of wealth for personal or political purposes at the expense of members; and

· Exclusivity - "we are right and everyone else is wrong". Sounds familiar>?

What is your alternative to your problem? Would you have people "throw the baby out with the bathwater" so to speak, so that they can have your
almighty approval and stamp of originality? What do you have to offer us besides a shallow understanding of these organized religions?

Did I say there is a problem? I put forth a question, and a valid one at that.

Your passive aggressive attack, I find hardly very constructive to this thread. Never did I say anyone or anything needs "my stamp of orginality".
Furthermore, prick, do not assume to know how much I know about these organized religions.

Even your quote from scripture, can be seen as a sign of christianity being nothing more than a sect or cult.

Some signs of a sect or cult. Most of these signs can be applied to almost all religions:

· A powerful leader who claims divinity or a special mission entrusted to him/her from above;

· Revealed scriptures or doctrine;

· Deceptive recruitment;

· Totalitarianism and alienation of members from their families and/or friends;

· The use of indoctrination, by sophisticated mind-control techniques, based on the concept that once you can make a person behave the way you want,
then you can make him/her believe what you want;

· Slave labour - that is, the use of members on fundraising or missionary activities for little or no pay to line the leader's pockets;

· Misuse of funds and the accumulation of wealth for personal or political purposes at the expense of members; and

· Exclusivity - "we are right and everyone else is wrong". Sounds familiar>?

vvv

Alright, so organized religions can get pretty messed up, but how is your first post not passive agressive?
I hardly find your thread constructive, sect or no sect I ASKED about that "stamp of originality" bit because you said, "people seem to want to be
led"..and you ignored my questions, valid ones too.
I didn't assume to know how much you knew, I ASKED you, well I'll quote myself.

What do you have to offer us besides a shallow understanding of these organized religions?

And that is a vaild question, but from what I can see, all I'm getting is more tripe. Good day.

Actually, I don't want to leave on these terms, I haven't said what I really should have said in the first place.
I, for the most part, do not trust in organized religion. I think it's deceptive in nature. I have asked God to show me whether or not I should still
go to church, we have two here in town, one's Catholic and one's Protestant,
I've been going to the Protestant church for years, until recent years I had a sufficient amount of trust in it. I thank the Lord who gives a love of
the truth that leads us to searching for more of it.
If you'll look through my threads and posts you'll see that I really do believe that God exists and that Jesus came to save us from our sins, among
other things,not merely from the consequences of sin. I do not believe in sharing the word of God for money. I do it because I know that God is real
and he is loving.
You'll notice that I am not so loving, I am not God, you can not trust in me to give you what you want or need, nor can I trust in you for those
things.

There is much truth per the Sect theme. However, the Masons seem to have all the books of the varied sects on their altar of Oaths, and if you
follow their Stone Mason Theme you discover these ancient blocks that are 50 tons large that no science today can explain. If you follow those
steps to higher learning, then you find that we are all one, and the varied sects were a little less complete of the understanding needed for the
Whole.

Such a broader mind, not content with one book or the other, provides the great wisdoms and the higher knowledge gained via a climb into the
constellations via a Jacob's ladder of raising steps and we then find a vastly higher knowledge than we know now.

No one needs to fall for always having a little piece of the higher truths and thinking they have it all on their single book.

edit on
11-3-2013 by MagnumOpus because: Finding the pathways into the heavens and the higher knowledge from the ancient parables

Originally posted by MagnumOpus
There is much truth per the Sect theme. However, the Masons seem to have all the books of the varied sects on their altar of Oaths, and if you
follow their Stone Mason Theme you discover these ancient blocks that are 50 tons large that no science today can explain. If you follow those
steps to higher learning, then you find that we are all one, and the varied sects were a little less complete of the understanding needed for the
Whole.

Such a broader mind, not content with one book or the other, provides the great wisdoms and the higher knowledge gained via a climb into the
constellations via a Jacob's ladder of raising steps and we then find a vastly higher knowledge than we know now.

No one needs to fall for always having a little piece of the higher truths and thinking they have it all on their single book.

edit on
11-3-2013 by MagnumOpus because: Finding the pathways into the heavens and the higher knowledge from the ancient parables

Are you saying that in other words that it's better to embrace all religions yet remain faithful to none?
That it's acceptable to have the bible on display but God forbid your sect take it seriously?
Here's what I agree with. New World Order ramifications

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